World Cup 2022 qualifiers: Kyrgyzstan, the quality army for Vietnam

Due to concerns of the acute pneumonia Covid-19 virus, the Iraq Football Association (IFA) asked to cancel the friendly match with Vietnam on March 26. . This has forced the Vietnam Football Federation to urgently seek alternative clubs.

After many negotiation efforts, VFF successfully invited Kyrgyzstan to join in an exhibition game. This is considered a suitable opponent for Park Hang-seo's team to keep up the momentum before entering the confrontation with Malaysia which takes place five days later.

Currently, Kyrgyzstan is ranked 96th in the FIFA rankings, two places behind Vietnam. In 1992, shortly after separating from the Soviet Union, this team officially became a member of AFC and FIFA.

In the early years of establishment, Kyrgyzstan proved to be much weaker compared to other countries in the region. They do not have a really solid football development foundation. It was not until 2010 that Kyrgyzstan decided to reform with a call to summon a number of naturalized players. Besides the ingenious guidance of the Russian strategist Sergey Dvoryankov, Kyrgyzstan has finally escaped the group of weak teams of the continent.

By 2019, reasonable long-term football development plans have helped Kyrgyzstan win the Asian Cup for the first time in history. At the finals in the UAE, ‘White Falcon’ also performed impressively. They won tickets to the group stage the first time they participated. In the round of 16 teams, this team only lost 2-3 to UAE after 120 minutes.

Currently, Kyrgyzstan is second in Group F in the 2022 World Cup qualifier with two wins, one draw and two losses, ranked just behind Japan. This is considered a successful outcome for the team from Central Asia.

In the next match, Kyrgyzstan will travel to Myanmar. Therefore, accepting a friendly invitation with another team from Southeast Asia like Vietnam can be considered a right decision of this country.